


Daffodil

by pipelliot



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Canon Era, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-13
Updated: 2012-10-13
Packaged: 2017-11-16 05:57:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/536241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pipelliot/pseuds/pipelliot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Even though she loves another, Gwen will never forget how happy and safe her first crush made her feel.<br/><i>It was rather impossible not to become quite smitten, really.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Daffodil

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, this silly little thing was originally posted over at the Kink Meme for this lovely [prompt:](http://kinkme-merlin.livejournal.com/32553.html?thread=34127913#t34127913) __

The first time Gwen spotted him, he'd had a (leaking a suspiciously off-purple liquid) satchel hanging around his slender torso as he was lugging a (generously sized) bucket of water he'd offered to carry for a little boy who'd been red faced and trying to push it through the dirt.

His smile was crooked and shameless and charming, and made his wide and impossibly blue eyes sparkle and crinkle at the corners.

He also had dimples.

Gwen was quite useless in all matters concerning dimples.

*

The second time Gwen saw him, he'd been telling off the Prince of Camelot.

Gwen had to force her own jaw shut and clasp her hands behind her back lest she be caught applauding like a lunatic.

*

The third time Gwen found him, he'd been locked up in the stocks and had tomato smeared along his perfect cheekbones.

Gwen could admit that it made him appear far more approachable (and utterly adorable.)

Gwen had introduced herself, and so did Merlin ( _and wasn't that just an adorable name?_ ) and he'd tried to stretch out his hand to shake hers, even though it was locked up rather, er, restraining-ly. Gwen had stuttered profoundly and insulted him numerous times and managed to call him a hero all in their first meeting, but he had smiled at her nonetheless, eyes no less sparkling, and waved at her as best he could as she fumbled away from his crowd of 'fans'.

It was rather impossible not to become quite smitten, really.

*

Merlin was far from just a (very) pretty face, though, of course, as Gwen came to know more definitely. He was (almost foolishly) brave, and kind, and loyal to the point of downing the contents of poisonous chalices for his Prince.

Gwen and Merlin became close. They often picnicked together when they had the time, and Gwen helped Merlin pick herbs for Gaius as frequently as she could and Merlin regularly helped her with her own duties (to many a blushing protest) when he'd manage to finish his early enough.

When they’d both finished work late, they'd often eat together, and when one would have to start unusually early, the other would wake up to have breakfast with them. Merlin was always ridiculously cheerful in the mornings, barking out horrendously bad jokes every minute and Gwen could hardly help but laugh at just how terrible they were.

(She'd actually mentioned that, once, and hid her face in her hands, but Merlin only laughed harder and smiled at her fondly. Gwen can admit that it made her melt just a little bit.)

They also did this sort of thing where everyday they'd (rather jokingly) pick a flower for each other and whenever they passed one another by Merlin would tuck one into her hair and Gwen would fit one in his neckerchief. No matter how casual and normal it became, he'd still always smile at her for it, even when Arthur was present and teased him mercilessly.

(Gwen had even kissed Merlin once, or rather smashed her face into his when she'd thought he'd been on his deathbed, but his lips were still so soft just like she'd imagined and it was quite possibly the most mortifying moment of her life.)

(But what Gwen treasures the most, she's sure, was how he'd believed in her when she'd been locked up in that cell, awaiting the pyre. When he'd promised to get her free, and when he did.)

*

Spending time with Merlin was lovely, because Merlin was lovely, and he made her feel ridiculously happy and light.

But Gwen wasn't a fool. And even she couldn’t stop the small smile that threatened at the sight of Arthur's hands resting on Merlin's hips from behind, trying to position him properly after Merlin's many fruitless attempts at swinging a sword around in circles in front of him. Her eyes widened, however, and her blush deepened furiously when Arthur had stopped paying attention to Merlin's, er, swordsmanship and instead had been focused squarely on, well, Merlin.

Merlin seemed to notice eventually, too, and smirked (only slightly) at a terribly flushed looking Arthur.

But when Arthur pressed a little dangerously closer, however, Merlin's smirk faded and it was all incredibly intense in a way that Gwen hadn't truly understood just yet, but was enough to make her stammer her apologies to no one and flee anyway.

*

Gwen wouldn't say she was heartbroken, not at all. Disappointed, maybe, but she supposed that that was more due to the fact that she saw less and less of Merlin as time went by.

Merlin became very important (though he always was, Gwen was certain, just in more subtle ways) in protecting the land and sitting at Arthur's immediate right, and looking after him and loving him fiercely and- yes- in that ridiculous and stupidly _intense_ way that she now understood.

*

It's a lovely summer’s day, and Merlin is seated under a large oak just off of the side of the training field. He's surrounded by books and parchments, his glasses sliding down his nose as he pretends to be engrossed in his work and not actually peeking at Arthur waving his sword about and being all manly and in charge and such.

Gwen had been watching Lancelot on the field, catching his gaze once or twice and smiling widely, giving him a thumbs up (which almost always distracted him for a moment too long, much to Gwen's silent amusement) when she spotted Merlin on the other side.

Gwen promptly decides to make her way around and sit right down next to him. He looks startled for all of a second before Gwen reaches beside her to snag a sunny yellow daffodil and tucks it snugly into Merlin's ever-present neckerchief. 

When he smiles, his eyes sparkle and they crinkle at the corners.

(Also, dimples.)


End file.
